Of Bullet Wounds and Jack-Gyvering
by only-some-loser
Summary: Mac still succeeds in recapturing the war criminal, but he doesn't come back in one piece. (tag to 1x13, Large Blade)


**AN: This is the thirteenth installment of my person challenge to write a tag for every episode. This is a tag for 1x13, Large Blade. It would mean a lot to me if you checked out my other tags as well. For this tag, I changed up the ending of the episode a little bit, and I added a short little missing scene near the beginning. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

* * *

Jack came to slowly, his head pounding - what had likely been three concussions was now likely four. As the memories of what had happened came flooding back, Jack's first thought was _Mac_. Turning to his right, he saw the kid slumped against the side of the helicopter, unresponsive. Jack quickly unfastened his seat belt and moved to undo Mac's. He knew he shouldn't really move him until he knew whether or not the kid was injured, but he knew that in movies, there was often an explosion following the crash. He didn't know if that was true or not, but he was not taking that chance with his partner still in the helicopter. Carefully, Jack hooked one arm under the kid's knees and the other around his shoulders, and slowly carried him out of the helicopter, setting him down a fair distance from the wreckage. Jack was about to stay with him until he woke up, but he could hear a groan coming from the cockpit. _The pilot_. Jack had completely forgotten about her, forgotten about anything and everything that wasn't the unconscious kid in his arms.

Reluctantly, Jack smoothed back Mac's hair and stood, making his way back to the pilot. The woman was waking up, and making more and more noise as she did so. Her leg was pinned, and likely broken. Jack could only hope Mac would wake up soon enough to help get her out before her leg was completely destroyed.

* * *

Jack let out a sigh of relief when he saw his partner appear once again. Mac was back, and Cynthia was still alive. Maybe they would be okay after all. Jack could see the blond pulling something, and had to let out a laugh when he saw Viktor, bound in vines, clumsily following Mac.

"Way to go, bud!" he called out to his grinning partner, about to give him a clap on the shoulder when he stopped, seeing the blood soaking the dark fabric of the kid's upper sleeve. Jack didn't have to ask. He already knew it was Mac's. "What happened? What did he do?" Jack asked, taking a rough hold of the vines holding Viktor with one hand, and a gentle hold of Mac's arm with the other.

"He managed to get a lucky shot while we were struggling," Mac muttered, letting Jack hold his arm, but letting out a hiss of pain when he moved it.

Jack fiercely glared at the war criminal, and dragged him to a tree where he tied him up even more, making sure to be extra rough with him. No one got to hurt Mac and not face any consequences. This would be added to his very long list of charges, and if he got a little more banged up on the way back to the States, who was to care?

"How's Cynthia?" Mac asked, holding his hand over his bicep to put as much pressure on the wound as he could. Jack could see the thick red blood slowly seeping through the kid's fingers, falling down his arm, and making a dark trail down his hand, until it finally dripped to forest floor below.

"She's doin' as good as she's gonna get, I'm worried about you right now," Jack answered, ripping off his own sleeve. He quickly crossed over to Mac and motioned for him to lift his hand off the wound in order for Jack to tightly wrap it. "This is gonna suck," he whispered, apologizing as Mac gasped in pain when the makeshift tourniquet was applied. "Now I gotta take care of you too. What would you do without me?" Jack jokingly asked. He was trying to keep his tone light in order to hide how scared he truly was. Cynthia was still very weak, and now Mac was shot. It was only his arm, so he should be okay, but Mac couldn't do his MacGyver thing nearly as well when he was shot, and Jack didn't think they could survive this without Mac's unique skills.

"Hand me the sat phone," Mac said, taking a deep breath against the pain. Jack could tell he was doing everything he could to avoid freaking out Cynthia even more than she probably already was. He did as Mac asked him, and immediately noticed when Mac's response was not a positive one.

Jack closed his eyes in defeat. The phone wasn't going to work, Viktor's men were closing in, a storm was coming their way, Cynthia had a broken leg and fever, and Mac was shot. Just great.

"The battery's dead from using it to start the fire," Mac muttered. Jack watched as the kid stared at the now useless device, and could see the wheels turning in his mind and he tried to figure out a way to get them out. Mac looked from the phone, to the jar, then up to the lightning closing in on them. "Jack, I think I know what we can do, but I'm gonna need your help," he said hesitantly.

"Anything you need," he answered immediately. He figured that should've been a given.

"You're not gonna like it," Mac added, shaking his head.

Jack chuckled, "I already don't like any of this man, come on now, tell me what to do and I'll do it. It's not like I haven't done crazy things for you before."

Mac sighed. "I need you to make a Leyden jar and get it struck by lightning."

* * *

Mac could not believe that it had worked. Not only had he been able to successfully teach Jack how to make a Leyden jar, but it had charged the sat phone perfectly after being struck by the lightning. Mac would have been lying if he said he wasn't terrified to ask Jack to do it, but he knew it was the only way. He could only thank God that it was only the jar that took the lightning, and not his partner.

Sadly, the plane ride back to LA was not enjoyable. Storms seemed to be covering the entire world - or at least seemed to be covering the exact path the plane was taking - which was causing quite a bit of turbulence. Every bounce of the plane sent waves of pain through Mac's arm, where the bullet had gone through. Mac knew he was lucky. The bullet was through and through, and hadn't hit the bone. The muscle would take some time to repair, but he would be okay. But it would suck in the meantime.

Mac couldn't suppress a moan of pain as the plane hit another patch of turbulence. Jack was by his side in an instant, although the man hadn't really left, only fallen into a doze - which he really shouldn't have been doing because of his concussions, but Mac was in too much pain to be able to keep track of his partner.

"Mac, what can I do?" Jack asked, his voice full of sympathy as he turned his full attention to the kid by his side.

Mac squeezed his eyes shut against the pain and tilted his head back, breathing deeply.

"Unless you can make this ride any smoother, there's nothing you can do. I've already taken any meds the plane has, and you know it." As much as Mac may have hated it, there really was nothing they could do, and they both knew it. But that didn't mean Jack wasn't going to try.

As they hit the next patch of turbulence, Mac reached out and gripped Jack's shirt with the hand on his bad arm, trying to steady it. Jack pulled the blond closer and tried to hold him in such a way that his arm would be as immobile as possible, even in the heavy turbulence. Mac didn't fight it, and instead worked with Jack to find the best way to grip his partner that was most comfortable for both of them, while still not allowing his arm to move as much. This did mean that his head had to rest against the front of Jack's shoulder. Mac was just glad Bozer and Riley weren't there to see it. As much as he tried not to, the comfort of Jack's embrace and the exhaustion of the mission had him falling asleep in minutes.

Thanks to Jack, not even the heavy turbulence could wake him up.

* * *

Cynthia woke up from her place on the couch when she heard the captain begin to announce that they would soon be landing. Her leg still throbbed, but not as badly. She took a glance to the side, and smirked at the two men on the opposite couch. MacGyver was asleep, basically in Jack's arms. The older man seemed to be dozing as well, but held onto the kid a little tighter every time the plane made a larger move that left the blond frowning in pain in his sleep.

This was one of the most interesting partnerships Cynthia had ever seen. The two acted like best friends, and bickered like brothers, but there was a definite element of their relationship that was even more familial. Jack seemed to act like a father to the kid, who fell into the role of a loving son very easily.

The two were certainly interesting, but Cynthia knew she wouldn't be alive without them.


End file.
